The Order of the Veil
Background The Order of the Veil is a secret society initially formed by Mara Valkarin in the aftermath of the Reliquary Crusade as part of her plan to depose the treacherous Theocrat Taryn Arkor. They are headed by the Penta Nera, typically comprised of Mara herself and four others. Sixty years after the founding of the Order, Mara discovered a ritual which would allow them to channel the essence of the Dead God into their bodies, increasing their power. This ritual required a sacred Taymurian artifact known as the Crucible of Souls. Stolen from Taymuria and concealed in Kyallisar, the Order channeled the essence of the Dead God from across the Veil - the barrier that separates dimensions; an act that weakened the Veil with every use. Forty years before the events of Shadows, Serge Valkarin began to believe that the Order's initial purpose of eradicating religion was lost. With his acolyte at his side, he sought to destroy the Godslayer. The rest of the order opposed him. The resulting internal conflict nearly destroyed the Penta Nera. The thinning of the Veil combined with power released on the Godslayer's destruction brought Shattered Heaven into contact with the Mortal Realm. With this, the Dreamworld became the Shadowrealm. The Inquisition The public face of the Order of the Veil, the Inquisition is dedicated to stamping out all religious practices in the Heretic Kingdoms. The Penta Nera The leaders of the Order of the Veil. There are four roles aside from Mara's own as supreme leader. * Leader: "I am the eye, I shall seek the path." * High Inquisitor: "I am the fire, I shall purge idolatry." * High Preceptor: "I am the heart, I shall welcome our allies." * High Executioner: "I am the blade – I shall rend our foes asunder!" * High Sage: "I am the quill, I shall bear witness." Known Members of the Penta Nera * Mara Valkarin - Leader * Serge Valkarin - High Inquisitor * Alita - High Inquisitor * Sice Larwan - High Preceptor, later promoted to High Sage * Carissa Cantrecht - High Preceptor * Quova Blackrock - High Sage * Krenze - High Sage * Tar Evanger - High Executioner * Darmok - Role Unknown. Serves as the final boss of Chapter 1 in Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms and its remake/sequel Shadows: Awakening. As he only participated in the Penta Nera's ritual once, his soul was not fortified with enough essence to maintain his identity after death and he could not be consumed by Urz'Rha. Read More * The Chronicles of the Order of the Veil, Volume I * The Chronicles of the Order of the Veil, Volume III * The Chronicles of the Order of the Veil, Volume VII * The Life of Quova, the Scarred Outcast - Volume I * The Life of Quova, the Scarred Outcast - Volume II * The Life of Quova, the Scarred Outcast - Volume III * The Life of Quova, the Scarred Outcast - Volume IV Category:Lore